[Leica] On the Up and UP

[ricc at mindspring.com (Ric Carter)]

On Apr 21, 2007, at 2:50 PM, afterswift@aol.com wrote:

> I believe the NYT has a standard for journalistic veracity that  
> prohibits any manipulation of an image, digital or otherwise. I  
> suppose the photographer can compose and crop in the viewfinder,  
> but not in post processing. There is a good reason for that, it  
> seems to me. The editor can justifiably assume that the viewfinder  
> image was dictated by the immediate conditions in the scene.

subject choice has no meaning? The chosen moment has no affect?

> Therefore, the photographer can not be held responsible for the  
> missing information.

even if he used a 90 instead of a 21?


> But the editor will not tolerate the cold-blooded addition or  
> removal of information.
> That would misinform the reader who expects the original image.

one of the examples of the Toledo photog was the removal of an  
electrical cord in a photo that was already too busy. Please explain  
how anyone was misinformed in any meaningful manner.


> I figure that the reader's expectation of the real goods is the  
> gold standard.


just as the diner's expectation of a great hamburger are the gold  
standard when he walks into McDonalds?

>
> If the photographer missed vital information in the composition, it  
> is up to the editor to discover it, probably by questioning the  
> reporter who worked with the photographer;

I'll accept that as soon as the editor talks with the photg to  
determine if the conclusions and statements of the reporter are  
correct. Reporters should be held to the same standards. How would  
they be defined?

The simplicity of these "rules" are based on ignorance of the field  
and its tools.

Again, tell me how to make this same rules for the writer, and I'll  
be much more comfortable with them being applied to photographers.


> or the editor can request to see additional shots of the same scene  
> made at the same time if available. Ultimately, it's the  
> photographer's reputation that the editor can depend on.

I agree.

Ric Carter
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/ricc/



>
> Chances are that if a photographer presents the original negatives  
> with the prints his work would carry more weight as to  
> authenticity. I assume there will always be a few traditionalists  
> who will shoot film on assignment -- or at least use one film  
> camera among the digitals.
>
> If anybody wants to shed their M3, M6, M7 for a few symbolic bucks,  
> I'll take them off your hands. Hey, I'm using a 9 year old Dell PC  
> Pentium II with Windows 2000 Pro. I'm not proud.
>
> Bob
>
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